The time is nigh for a striker

Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that the chase for a new striker has been the most annoying thing since Davina McCall but it will get to a point where he will have to commit and sign the new man... otherwise he will end up with the sweet sum of FA.

The chase for striking reinforcements has been in place since the summer with only J-Rob and Kalinic at present in the Rovers squad as a recognised striker.

But the search has so far beared about as much fruit as a tree in winter and Sam has admitted that time is running out.

Allardyce spoke to the Lancashire Telegraph and said - "I have been in touch with our head of player recruitment Martyn Glover and Neil McDonald while taking a break to see what the situation is regarding the one key player we are looking for.

'Unfortunately that hasn`t managed to materialise at the moment.

"We are at a situation where we have to commit to someone otherwise what will happen is we will end up with nobody. Or we will end up with someone that is not good enough out of desperation.

"That is the problem we have got. Anyone who has had a decent World Cup will end up being far, far too expensive for us.

'That is the situation you are going to come to with everybody who plays in the World Cup.

"If a striker from a more obscure country plays well and you ring up about him they will start at £8million and work upwards.

'That is our of our budget range."

'It is like everything else. You have got to try and move forward even though it might not be the right time for the football club financially.

'It is the right time for the football club from a football perspective.

"You have to trust that we will make the budget right at the end of the transfer window by shifting around the player we need to shift if that player becomes available.

"It is taking the gamble and then if it is above what you wanted to pay then you take the responsibility as a manager to put that right.

'As a manager I have never not put it right, if you look at my record at every club I have been at."